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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351032">Tiny little ball of hope</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter'>TFALokiwriter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Tick (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1990's, Arthur's nightlight, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Foreshadowing, Gen, Heartwarming, Heavy Foreshadowing, Pre-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 09:08:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tiny little ball of hope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thomas, when did you get Arthur a nightlight?"</p><p>"I didn't." Thomas said, pausing in the doorway, peering in spotting the glowing blue nightlight. "It's playing a lovely lullaby."</p><p>Joan looked into the bedroom. There was a blue light illuminating the room coming from a small device set in the left hand corner of the small room. The glow was incredibly bright enough to stand out against the darkness that seemed to have retreated in defeat from the presence of the small nightlight. The nightlight was quite small but the light stood out. Joan was perplexed staring inside the room alongside Thomas.</p><p>"He hasn't been crying.  .  ." Joan said.</p><p>"Weird, isn't it?" Thomas raised his brows so Joan nodded.</p><p>"One of us might have gotten it." Joan suggested.</p><p>"I have all the receipts." Thomas said. "I can get them if you like."</p><p>There was a long pause between them.</p><p>"Could it be?"  Joan asked.</p><p>They looked upon the baby.</p><p>"That he has a superpower?" Thomas asked.</p><p>"He's just a baby, Thomas." doubt was laced in her voice as was lethargy. "We're tired." the reminder was plain as day. "It's our first week with him." then she went on to suggest. "Maybe it was a gift from a member of the family or a neighbor gift."</p><p>They stood side by side looking down upon him in concern then the father looked toward the mother, rubbing the sides of her arms, with a smile. </p><p>"We will cross that bridge about the possibility of having a superpower when we get there, Joan."  Thomas assured. "No one will admit to getting our son a blue nightlight like this." he gestured toward the softly glowing nightlight. "It's the 90's!"</p><p>"That will only be widely available in the 21st century." Joan said.</p><p>"And space travel, curing cancers at a time, and communicators like from Star Trek." he tipped his hand over toward the baby. "Technology isn't up to par to do that and if it is--"</p><p>"It's expensive and no one wants to admit to buying that." Joan replied with a laugh.</p><p>Joan smiled then walked away as Thomas looked on into the room, easily comforted, but stunned and proud with some uncertainty in the way about how the child would use them. There wasn't any supers in the family that he were aware of but now the great universe had decided to bestow upon his tiny family a person to be proud of. A small little person that was a ball of hope that made things happen to make it all the more better.</p><p>There was the sound of footsteps beside him so he turned in the direction of the sound and spotted his nine year old daughter who was rubbing one of her eyes. </p><p>"Is Arthur okay?" Dot asked. </p><p>"He is perfect." Thomas replied. </p><p>Dot's eyes became wide.</p><p>"How?" Dot asked. "How did the sleep man get to him? He hasn't been quite still enough for him. Daddy, did mommy sing him to sleep?"</p><p>Thomas knelt down to her level, his hands on his knees, then smiled.</p><p>"Better, Dorothy." Thomas said. "God decided to give him a nightlight."</p><p>Dot looked in to the room then peered back out holding tightly on to her teddy bear that had a doctor's cloak and a stethoscope.</p><p>"A gift." Thomas said. "God doesn't give most people a gift."</p><p>"So he is special." Dot said.</p><p>"Arthur is a very special boy." Thomas said. "God couldn't take all that wailing."</p><p>Joan stifled back a laugh from the doorway to their bedroom, covering her mouth, beaming.</p><p>"Am I special, too?" Dot asked.</p><p>Thomas's features softened.</p><p>"Both of you are special in very talented and unique ways," Thomas said. "I don't know what God gave you. . ."</p><p>"I could be normal." Dot pouted.</p><p>"All that a person needs is help." Thomas said. "Being able to help?" he lifted a brow. "That is the biggest superpower itself." He smiled as Joan overheard his words. "Being willing to be by their side, guide them, and have some hand in making sure they are on their feet despite all the ickiness."</p><p>Dot looked toward Arthur's room.</p><p>"Then I will be there for Arthur," Dot turned her attention toward Thomas. "I will be his heroine."</p><p>"And he will be your hero." Thomas said. "Both of you are hero's. I know it."</p><p>Dot hugged Thomas so he returned the hug.</p><p>"You're always going to be the best superhero that lived to me, daddy." Dot said.</p><p>Thomas squeezed his eyes shut as he smiled then Dot was the first to break the hug then go to Arthur's room.</p><p>"Just to be safe, I will be his hero tonight." Dot sat down into the nearest chair and yanked forward a baby blanket.</p><p>"Why?" Thomas asked. </p><p>"Arthur is a baby." Dot reminded. "The Terror might come in and abduct him!" Dot wrapped the stethoscope around her neck. "He'll have another thing coming with me here."</p><p>Thomas got back up to his feet.</p><p>"He will." Thomas agreed. "Good night, Dorothy."</p><p>"Good night, daddy." Dot said.</p><p>Thomas closed the door to the bedroom then walked away rejoining his wife at the doorway of their bedroom.</p><p>"Dot will take care of him in the event that anything happens." Joan said.</p><p>"She will do her best." Thomas said, softly. "I have faith that they will take care of each other after we leave this boring dwelling and dance eternity away."</p><p>Joan snickered back at her husband with a smile.</p><p>"What in the world would I do in the hours after you are gone?"</p><p>"You're the most flawed and beautiful woman I have known. You'll cry, you'll scream, but in the end; you will prevail in rebuilding your life." Joan smiled back at him, flattered, yet touched by his words. "For all I am concerned, you're my superhero because of the way you rebuilt your life after losing your parents."</p><p>"You waited a long time for me." Joan said. "It will be a shame that I had to wait for you."</p><p>"No, love. . ." Thomas replied with a chuckle. "It is the other way around;<em> I</em> will be waiting for you."</p><p>Thomas patted on her shoulder then went to the bedroom as Joan smiled. She looked toward the doorway to the children's room, <em>they will be okay without us.</em> If anything was to be deduced about Dot's relationship with her brother then that was it in Joan's mind. Joan gripped the door handle then closed it behind her as she joined Thomas.</p>
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